The Crow: Beyond Hope
by Kai-Lun-Mau
Summary: Even in deep space millions of light years from Earth it seems some legends travel beyond the boundaries of space and time. And a man can return from the dead for Vengeance against those who wrong him.


Title: The Crow: Beyond Hope

Rating: PG13/R

Summary: Even in deep space millions of light years from Earth it seems some legends travel beyond the boundaries of space and time. And a man can return from the dead for Vengeance against those who wrong him.

AN: This is definitely an AU…Possible spoiler for Bad timing but only up to the point where John Proposes. There is no Space ship, no weird ass aliens with bisected faces and no crystallisation.

I don't own Farscape. If I did we'd be watching series 6 by now and all of us would be going to see FarScape the Movie.

The Crow: Beyond Hope

It finally seemed as though they found time for just each other after four cycles, being chased by Crais, then Scorpius, then I'm a tralk Grayza and finally by what seemed like the entire Scarran empire, John Crichton and Aeryn Sun finally found the time to get married. He knew he couldn't offer her much of a life beyond what they already had together, but he could offer her and their child his name and his heart.

Once almost one cycle ago he told her he loved her beyond hope. He was wrong; his love went beyond that. He was nothing without her, and he knew that when he died and was sent before Zhann's goddess all his love would still be for Aeryn Sun.

He sat there, his back braced against Moya's golden walls and he glanced down at the mass of ebony hair that rested just below his chin as they both relaxed watching the expanse of stars shine out before them. He lowered his head, his breath warm against her scalp and he lightly pressed his lips to his wife's head. His wife, that word summed up everything good in his life at this moment and he smiled as he heard her sigh contentedly and press back against him.

"I love you."

His smiled broadened at her softly spoken words. Once not that long ago she would never have said those things to him, but now she had no issues with the words and he felt proud, knowing that the unlocking of this consummate soldiers hearts was his greatest accomplishment. "I love you more."

He grunted as her elbow lightly jabbed his stomach and he laughed softly at their game and simply tightened his arms around her pulling her closer. Without thought his hands drifted lower to her abdomen and softly started to gently stroke the small area of exposed skin where soon their child would begin to grow. He knew this wasn't a safe galaxy for any child of his, but found he didn't care. He would defend this woman in his arms and their baby to the death.

"Commander Crichton, Moya and I have detected another ship in System on a direct course with us."

John felt Aeryn stiffen in his arms and he frowned. "Do we know what kind of ship it is Pilot?"

"Yeah Pilot, is it Peacekeeper, Nebari, Scarran, or one of frelling countless species determined to frell us?"

"Yeah Commander it seems to be a Peacekeeper Corsair class."

John looked at Aeryn as she slowly slipped from his arms. "It's the Peace Keeper equivalent of a Striker."

John simply nodded. "Pilot prepare for Starburst." Standing quickly he and Aeryn began trek towards command.

"Everyone Starburst in five microts, four, three, two, onarrrrrrrgh!"

Pilots screams of pain crackled through the com as Moya bucked and heaved, her lights shorting out, the few DRD's visible shutting down in a shower of sparks. "Pilot?"

"Yo Pilot respond?" Silence greeted them and John swore as both he and Aeryn broke into a run towards Pilots den.

Pilots den was open as the few members of the crew gathered in it in a panic. Aeryn gently ran her fingers across Pilots shell exteriors and he gasped from breath. "S-som-ething h-has over-ridden M-Moya's systems…"

"Pilot does Moya know where the Corsair is?"

"N-no, M-Moya is in g-great pain…her N-nervous sys-system is-is in agony!" Pilot's eyes closed as he succumbed to the pain wracking his and Moya's bodies.

John glanced at their friend. "Damn, ok people, Aeryn how many on this ship?"

"More than we can handle John, standard corsair crew compliment is fifty Techs and one hundred commandos with one wing of Prowlers and a half wing of Marauders."

Dargo growled as he unsheathed his Qualta blade. "Then we will make our stand here on Moya."

Chiana nodded though still blind. "Y-yeah we know Moya better than they do, we split em up and take em down!"

John looked at Aeryn. She nodded to his unspoken question. "It's our only chance John, if Pilot and Moya are out of commission so are most of our usual trick dealing with Invaders."

John sighed. "Ok it looks like we got a plan, let's get to the hanger bay and surprise our guests"

A voice rang out that none of them wished to hear. "I am afraid John that the surprise is on you this time."

John spun Winona sliding from its holster into his hand as Aeryn did the same with her pulse Pistol. Chiana yelled and Dargo raised his Qualta blade. "Goddamn it Grasshopper I'm getting tired of you frelling with my life!"

"Trust me John, this will be the last time." Scorpius raised his hand and signals and stepped back out of the doorway. "Take them, only Officer Suns child is necessary."

Horror tinged the small group as PK commandos stormed through the doors pulse rifles firing. While Moya's crewed gave as good as they got the tight confines of then Den left only a single outcome. Chiana fell first, a pulse blast spinning the young Nebari over and over till she crashed against Pilots console. With her Death Dargo snapped, Hyper rage filling his mind and he charged only to be stopped with a concentrated barrage of pulse rifle fire that sent the once proud and defiant Luxon plummeting into Moya's cavernous depths. Rygel was next as a the Hynerian tried to lower down to one of the different tiers to escape the gun battle and failed as a blast struck his throne sled obliterating the once Dominar.

John and Aeryn stood side by side firing rapidly into the ranks of commandos but finally a bolt drilled through Aeryn's thigh dropping her to the deck with a cry of pain. Distracted John turned to her. "AERYN!" and suddenly he felt the pain in his chest and his fingers went numb. Winona clattered to the deck and bounced over the edge and John stared down at his chest and the hole created from the blast. He smiled sadly at Aeryn before his legs gave out and John Crichton tumbled backwards into the darkness.

Even in alien cultures stories of how great adversity is overcome by the depth of love for one person by another. On Earth people once believed that when a person died, a crow carried their soul to the land of the dead. But sometimes something so bad happens that the soul can't rest. Sometimes, just sometimes, the crow can bring that soul back to set the wrong things right.

On a moon deep within the uncharted territories a mighty Leviathan transport orbited a dead moon, a creature of sleek golden lines and curves, its delicate surface was marred by that of a machine of ugly gun metal grey at stretched across it's bow. Also orbiting the moon was a Peacekeeper command carrier. Upon this mile long death machine a Sebacen male stood at it's helm regarding the transport when his thoughts were disturbed by his second in command.

"Sir we have received a communication from the Gamak base, we are to begin scanning once the wormhole is open." She stood at his shoulder waiting for confirmation of the orders.

Braca nodded submerging his own doubts about the project beneath his Peacekeeper training. "You have your order, set all sensors to maximum and begin recording as soon as the Wormhole materialises."

She walked away to carry out her orders while Braca turned his attention back to the space outside his command carrier, but no longer was his gaze locked on the Leviathan but on the Gamak base and the monstrous entity inside.

Pilot sat at his command console and waited patiently for his order to begin. For a cycle now a madman had held him and Moya prisoner, a spectre from the past of his crew that had finally caught up with them. He felt shame at how Moya and himself had acted but he knew that the cost of rebellion was no longer just their lives, but the life of a truly innocent.

"Pilot please begin First stage starburst and prefer to transfer the energy to the Monofilament web."

Pilot shivered as the silky smooth voice was no measure of the creature it belongs to. "Of course Scorpius." He depressed a button on his console and deep within Moya's heart Starburst began. He could feel the energy fill his ship with life, with the thoughts of escape but he stemmed them and flipped the newly added switch on his console and sent the preliminary wave of energy through the dorsal fins to the Star Web that hung in orbit.

The Web crackled to life as the energy of a self-contained start rippled through it and slowly in the web's heart the wormhole formed.

"Very good Pilot."

"Thank you Scorpius." Pilot fought the urge to scream, to force Moya to descend onto the moon burying the Gamak base beneath her immense weight, but a single thought stopped him. That of his charge.

"Thank you for your excellent aid as always Pilot, in return as in accordance with our bargain I shall have Nurse Melak bring the child to you for an arn." Scorpius cut off the com not really expecting much of a reply from the Pilot as he watched the Monitor and the vast swirling blue corona on it's display. The Wormhole knowledge was finally his, and using it he would bring the Scarrans to heel. He stepped away from the monitor and calmly strode through his command towards the secondary project. It was Moya's memory scans that had brought about this weapon; the Illonics had created a quantum singularity weapon to use against the Skorvians. Well he took their primitive design and now with the aid of wormhole travel had a perfectly working Prototype ready to be used against the Scarran home world

As promised Nurse Melak soon arrived in Pilots den carrying the squealing child. "I have never met such a disagreeable infant, she should be cleansed with the rest of the trash!" Pilot's eyes narrowed and his clawed arm reached out and waited patiently for the child to be given to him. He said nothing but part of him seethed, this little girl was all that remained of Moya's crew. With a snort of disdain she lay the child in the massive claw and stormed away.

Slowly the child's cries silenced as Pilot cradled her against his body, while totally different from the Peacekeepers, the child was more at home with him and soon she giggled happily at the sight.

"My promise little one, I will keep you safe at Moya's and my own expense." He started to hum quietly, a lullaby he heard her father hum softly to her mother's stomach one evening on the terrace.

Pilot started in surprise when something landed on his console and cawed at him, an avian of some kind, covered in black feathers. But how did it get on board of Moya. He watched it silently as it cawed once more before it leapt into the air and vanished into the darkness down towards the neural cluster.

Without a word he quietly returned his attention to the infant and slowly began to hum the lullaby once more.

It glided down through the tiers on currents barely felt, it's black feathers ruffling slightly in the breeze as it slowly descended into the neural cluster, it's beady yellow eyes focused solely on a spot amongst the lake of bat dren that covered Moya's lower level. It settled gracefully upon a support strut and cawed. Nothing seemed to happen and it cawed again, the area it's focused gaze settling upon the same spot as before as it began to ripple, bubbles rising to the surface. It started to tap its beak against Moya's golden skeleton, the sound reverberating throughout the neural cluster. As if in response the surface broke and a hand grasped for the sky, bone exposed through rotting flesh that before the crow's eyes slowly reformed into a whole and healthy hand.

Slowly a head emerged from the dren gasping desperately for breath as it crawled its way towards the tier and clambered onto the metal walkway and vomited. Filth and muck which had accumulated within his lungs and stomach spewed out onto the walkway before he collapsed, his raging gasps replaced by desperate sobs.

He ghosted through Moya's golden hallways, bat dren dripped in his wake leaving a bluish trail of slime behind him; his arms were wrapped around his chest as he fought the shivering sensation wracking his body. He needed to find his quarters, their quarters, his memory was in pieces and the pieces he had made no sense to him, that and the fact his naked rear end may cause an accident his leathers long since rotted away from his body.

He shuffled along, the crow coasting along the corridor in front of him, leading him to his destination. Quietly he ran his hand across the door control and the door-hissed open and he stumbled inside. His room, their room was like a bomb had been set off, their belongings scattered all over the floor. Shakily he knelt to pick up a locket that Chiana had given Aeryn and he almost screamed as hi mind was assaulted by a flood of memories he could swear weren't his own. He collapsed the locket flung across the room as he clutched at his head trying to fight the pain caused by a lifetime of memories with Aeryn.

He sank his teeth into his lip as he tried desperately not to scream as he writhed on the floor among the nik-naks that the pair had gathered together over the cycles and desperately flung himself onto the bed to get his barings. This proved to provide no escape for the tortured human as memories of their last night together on the bed flooded his mind with ghosts of sweet kisses and the feel of his body sheathed within her. With an in articulate roar he scrambled off of the bed and grabbed the mattress and heaved it across the room, chairs soon followed before he collapsed sobbing. Slowly he pushed himself to his feet and staggered towards the shower area and turned the water up as high as it would go and stepped beneath the steaming water to try and cleanse his body.

He wasn't sure how long he stood beneath the water but soon the insistent squawk of the bird drew him from it's comforting embrace. It stood perched above his wardrobe, it's doors hanging off their hinges and his clothes hung there still, black T-shirt, leather pants and his black leather duster. Slowly he reached out and slid them off the hanger and slowly started to dress. His memories were fuzzy, indistinct, he knew something was wrong as he slowly slipped his boots on.

He would go to D's and Chiana's room, maybe they would have the answers. He stepped out into the hallway, the crow leaping from the top of the wardrobe settled on his shoulder as almost as one the pair started towards the room of his friends. Once there his knuckles wrapped against metal framework and he waited for a reply. Frowning he palmed the door release and stepped inside. "Yo D, Pip?" Nothing, the room was empty, the bedding gone all that remained was a few of Chiana's things propped against a mirror, her makeup, a couple of nik-naks and something she bought after she believed Neri was dead, oh yeah a Nebari death Mask. He stared at it and felt a shiver run down his spine as he crossed the room to pick it up.

As his fingers closed around the fragile piece of pottery he stumbled as a door in his mind seemed to open and memories of what happened in pilots den surfaced and the mask tumbled from his fingers to smash upon Moya's floor. He wasn't sure how long he stood there while he remembered, Scorpius, PK commandos and the pulse blast that drilled through his chest and Aeryn's screams as he fell. The caw of the Crow drew him back from the brink of madness as it hopped around his feet pecking at the remains of the mask. Suddenly he knew what it wanted him to do and he grabbed Chi's make up and started to paint his face with it. Soon he stared into the pale face of someone different, he was no long John Crichton, he didn't know who he was. The face in the mirror started to laugh at him and he screamed in rage and slammed his fist into the glass surface shattering the mirror. He turned and stalked out into Moya's golden hallways and started to head towards the Den…he needed answers and if Pilot was still running this ship he would supply them.

Nurse Melak snarled as she stalked through corridors of the ship the screaming infant in her arms. She hated this assignment, filthy little half-breed, both of them, but at least Scorpius had an excuse, his mother raped by Scarrans, this little freak had no such excuse, it's mother had deliberately dirtied herself by bearing the child of an inferior species. "Cease your squealing you little wretch or I shall space you out the airlock!" Her head throbbed, only mere minutes in the child's presence and already she felt her tolerance levels dropping.

She started as something black fluttered past her, into her face and she felt herself let go of the child by accident. "No!" she batted the creature away from her face and stared down at the ground to gather up the infant but it was not there, it's squealing had stopped. She looked up and sighed in relief at the sign of a Peacekeeper commando standing several metres away the baby in his arms rocking her gently.

"My thanks, Scorpius would have been most upset if that little half-breed had been injured." She held her arms out for the soldier to return the bay to her so she could continue on her way. "Well give it here."

"This Aeryn Sun's child?"

The nurse nodded frowning. "Of course who else would have such a little genetic freak, it should have been spaced, it's mother as well."

The figure tensed but kept its face down staring intently at the little girl. "Where can I find her?"

"I wouldn't know, look who are you, hand over the child and I won't report this to Scorpius." She stepped forward to reclaim the infant.

The Commando looked up and she bit back a scream at the hideous parody of a face stared back at her, white with black slits at it's eyes and mouth. So horrified was she, she never reacted when he grabbed her by the hair and slammed her face into Moya's walls. She cried out and the figure looked genuinely surprised. "Damn you have a thick skull." It yanked her head back again and slammed her face into the wall again and for Nurse Melak everything went black.

She woke up and clutched her forehead in pain, feeling the massive bump growing there, w-what had happened, oh yeah, the creature, he had taken the baby. She sat up fighting the wave of dizziness and looked around her. He face paled she was in one of Moya's airlocks and between her and the central corridor was the creature, still cradling the now silent child. She watched in a kind of dread fascination as the infant grasped at the spectre's finger and cooed happily.

"See now Leslie and I were talking, deciding what we would do with the mean old nasty peacekeeper, trying to come up with a nice surprise for you." John looked up at her and smiled brightly. "See she thinks that you don't get out often enough, so guess what, you can go out for a walk, do you like that idea miss peacekeeper?"

Slowly Melak turned; trying to get away from those blue eyes that shone with insanity and stared in horror at the open hatch behind her. "Please don't hurt me?"

"Hurt you, hurt you, oh no I'm not going to hurt you, Leslie thinks you should get out more, take a walk for the good of her health." He smiled at his daughter and lifted her tiny hand and mock waved at the now openly sobbing Nurse. "Say Bye, bye!" John turned and walked through the secondary hatch and palmed the door release but not before he threw something across the intervening space. The door closed and for Nurse Melak everything seemed to slow down as she watched the gold locket sail across the airlock and through the outer hatch piercing Moya's gravity field. She screamed as the air rushed out of the compartment and she was sucked into the vacuum of deep space.

John rocked Leslie as he walked through Moya's corridors making baby noises and smiling down at his little girl. "Shall we go see Unca Pilot, does that sound like a good idea huh…it does doesn't it, lets go see Unca Pilot." Slowly throughout Moya's corridors a father's laughter mingled with his child's giggles.

John tickled his daughter playfully as she squealed in delight, her small arms windmilling through the air as John spun round and round. She was so beautiful, so much like her mother. He would have to find Aeryn once he' dealt with Pilot, it made no sense and his fractured memories were still playing tricks on him. He could remember the Peacekeeper assault, he could remember falling from Pilots walkway and nothing else till rising out of the dren.

So why was there a Peacekeeper tralk onboard threatening to space this baby, as soon as he held her in his arms he knew exactly who she was, every ounce of love that Aeryn and he had for one and other was tied up in this little girl. He rounded the corner and palmed the door release to the den.

"Yo Pilot what the Hezmana is goin on?" His southern drawl echoing around den.

Pilot stared at him in surprise then at the child and two of his arms lashed out, one taking Leslie from his arms and the other wrapping around John's throat. "I do not know who you are Peacekeeper but by Scorpius's instructions you should be no where near that child. John struggled feeling Pilots massive hand close around his throat crushing the windpipe and dropping him to the deck where he struggled to get air into his lungs. He could feel the damage being repaired and he stared up at Pilot who cradled his daughter against his massive bulk and watched impassively, waiting for him to die.

"Pilot, it's me you Farhbot god-damn lobster looking pain in the ass." John struggled to his feet and watched for any sign of attack. "It's John."

"Liar!" Pilot's eyes narrowed menacingly. "Commander Crichton is dead! He fell from this tier one cycle ago after a Pulse blast to his chest!" Pilot lashed out intending to finish the job properly this time but John was prepared. With reflexes beyond his human scope he ducked under Pilots lunge and darted to the console and leapt on top of it and leaned close and slowly rubbed his hand along Pilots forehead ridge and watched as Pilots eyes widened in surprise.

"Hey Pilot, believe me now?"

"How is it possible, I thought your species was decidedly frail, no insult intended Commander."

John nodded. "It's cool Pilot, I don't understand it either, I was dead, I'm sure I was dead, but my memories are Swiss cheesed." John shook his head at Pilots look of incomprehension. "Full of holes Pilot, my memories are sketchy." He sat down on the edge of the console and held out his arms for Leslie whom Pilot reluctantly returned to him. "What the hell happened, why are you here and why are there peacekeepers onboard?"

"We, Moya and I had no choice. It seems that while on board Scorpius tampered with Moya' starburst chamber. He created a false circuit that when triggered would redirect the first stage starburst energy through Moya's nervous system, much like a high power stun pulse, if activated during stage two it would irreparably damage Moya's nervous system crippling her and the resulting feedback would likely kill myself as well."

"No offence Pilot but what does Scorpy want with Moya anyway?"

"It seems that Moya's starburst is similar to a solar flare, with his wormhole experiments in their latter stages Scorpius required a Leviathan, but it seems high command refused he request, with our capture he effective killed two birds with one stone."

John nodded slightly. "K…but you always said you would rather die than let Moya fall back into Peacekeeper hands."

"That is true commander, but Scorpius laid another charge at our feet, that of your daughter. She is kept on board in the hands of one of his Nurses as a silent threat whilst Officer Sun is kept on board the Command Carrier. If I fail to comply wish his wishes they will both be killed. I response I agreed, only if they are housed here on Moya, he compromised saying the child may be onboard but Officer Sun must remain on board the command carrier in detention."

John frowned and stood up hopping back down onto the ground from on top the console. "If I get to the Starburst chamber and disable the false circuit could you escape."

"Of course Commander, but that would leave Officer Sun onboard the Command Carrier and Moya and I refuse to leave her behind." He shook his massive head as Crichton handed his now sleeping child back to him. "The chamber is also guarded by Peacekeeper commandos and DRD's have had their weapons disabled."

"We ain't leaving Aeryn behind Pilot and as for the Commando's, lets just say they're in for a ass kicking Crichton style."

This was grots work, that was the thought that rampaged through the mind of Peacekeeper Commando Nemik Yarhk as he stood guarding the access doors to the Starburst Chamber. It was dull, never changing and he was desperate for his shift to end so he could return to the Carrier and get drunk and maybe get some recreation. Suddenly a dark mass exploded out of the shadows, all wings and black feathers and he yelled in surprise opening fire sending pulse blasts into Moya's bulkheads. Suddenly the feathered creature was gone and Nemik found him facing something from what could on be described as a nightmare. "Cease and desist all actions, name rank, regiment!"

John just grinned, the make up giving it a truly sinister appearance. "John Crichton, Commander, Hell's legion."

Nemik swallowed, the name John Crichton a name used as a curse more than anything else for PK trainees much like Cholaks Demon. He didn't hesitate, he aimed his pulse pistol and fired and smiled as the bolt slammed into the wraiths chest leaving a gaping hole.

John grunted as he felt the pulse blast strike him and the burning sensation that slowly faded and he straightened up much to the Commando's astonishment. "You get that one for free farhbot, you got a hundred microts before I discharge that Pulse Pistol up your eema. One Mississippi, two Mississippi, three Mississippi." The pulse pistol clattered to the deck and Nemik ran past him and John palmed open the Starburst chamber-door and stared at the chamber. Noticing the line of circuitry that wasn't there previously. He smirked and knelt, picking up the Pulse Pistol and grimaced at its weight in his hand. Hell it wasn't Winona but it would do the Job and he fired at the cable several times till it lay in two parts. Holstering the Pistol he turns and started to run down the corridor a wicked smile on his face. "Ready or not Bilko here I come!"

Nemik ran, he could hear the demons voice over the Com system, taunting him, laughing as it chased him through the Leviathan. He would round corners double back on himself and still would come face to face with the demon who would wave jauntily at him fire a Pulse blast at his feet and send him scurrying the other way. He had given up on trying to get to command, if he could make the Hangar he could make it to the Marauder and bring back reinforcements and destroy this demon, lets see it heal if it's body was fully immolated.

He raced across the hangar praying his luck would hold and darted up the ramp not wondering why it was down. He ran to the Pilot controls and started up the Marauder and blasted out of Moya's bay heading for the command carrier issuing his command codes and a request for reinforcements.

With a thump the Marauder landed and he sat back and released the breath he had been holding when he felt something tap his shoulder and he watched the black feathered creature land on the console. "Tag you're it." He didn't even have time to cry out when he felt the hands clamp down on his forehead and his jaw and twisted hard. The last sound Nemik Yarhk heard was a crunch as his neck snapped and his world faded to black.

After several failed attempts to hail the Marauders Pilot by the flight crew triggered the security alert. Quickly the Dektarian Company surrounded the vessel with Pulse rifles drawn all aimed steadily at the entrance ramp. With a speed expected by a seasoned tech the overrides were disabled and with a hiss of pneumatic air being displaced the hatch lowered. In the darkness nothing moved for several microts when the line reflected off of something black and shiny like a carapace of some kind. They tensed and suddenly it exploded from the Marauder in a monstrous leap and almost as one the Peacekeepers tracked it and opened fire.

Too late they realised their mistake as their pulse blasts slammed into the already dead body of Peacekeeper Commando Nemik Yarhk and spun to turn their guns back onto the Marauder only to watch a black blur vanish into the shadows of the flight deck.

"Fan out, find the intruder and eliminate it."

With a series of affirmatives the soldiers began a search pattern of the hangar. Security Chief Tovin Carr folded his arms across his chest with satisfaction as he watched his team fan out in accordance to exact Peacekeeper regulations. Unfortunately for him the whine of a pulse pistol being primed and the felling of weapons grade metal pressing against the back of his neck soon ruined his swelling feelings of pride.

"Let's chit chat, discuss, communicate, you like a man with some pull around here and I want you to tell me where I can find Aeryn Sun and I'll let you go."

Tovin stood there lost for words the feeling of metal pressed against his neck short-circuiting his higher brain functions and the only word wanting to slip out of his mouth was Fire!

"Tic, Toc, Tic, Toc, times running out on this once in a life time special offer." The gun jammed against the back of his head like an exclamation point for each word spoken. "Where! Is! She!"

"L-level twelve, detention block cell, twenty six, but you can't save her." Tovin shivered as he felt the gun slip away from his neck and felt himself relax.

"Remember I said I wouldn't kill you. I had my fingers crossed behind my back when I said it."

The whine of a pulse blast filled the landing bay and by the time the security team made it back to the location all they found was Captain Tovin Carr lying face down with a pulse blast wound to the back of his head.

Braca once more stood on his command deck staring out into space when suddenly the klaxons on the bridge started to go off and he spun on his heel and rounded on his Lieutenant. "Report!"

"We have an unidentified hostile on board, security measures are being put into effect but it is bypassing our guard stations and security patrols as if it knew where they are." She stood to attention at his side watching, waiting for orders.

Braca carefully studied the ships internal sensors and smiles a grim smile. "Lieutenant pull our men back our intruder is heading for detention, it seems he she or it is after the traitor Sun." A smug smile slowly slid across Braca's face as he clasped his hands behind his back. "Lets make sure that they find her shall we."

He moved through the Command carrier like a ghost, using rarely used tech service shafts and using the crows eyes to avoid security patrols. He found himself within the maintenance riser heading steadily down towards his goal. His finger lightly stroked the side of his pulse pistol as he whistled under his breath the Elevator tune the girl from something of other, the name escaping his recall at the minute. That was another thing he knew set Humans and Sebacen's apart, no damn elevator music, how uncivilised could you get, not bombarding it's passengers with a quality collection of the most annoying tunes in the universe. Finally with a dull tone the Riser slid to a stop and the doors opened and John smiled at the surprised PK trooper waiting to board. Pistol suddenly in hand he fired and the Commando sailed backwards slamming against the carriers walls with a thud. Still whistling the tune he walked past the body and started to count the doors till he found the one he wanted. "Aeryn"

He studied the door for a moment and shrugged, oh well locked, no key standard Star Wars treatment then. Once more the Pulse Pistol fired and the lock exploded in a shower of sparks and the door slid open.

The Crow cawed as it landed on his shoulder as he stared into the barely lit room, she lay there on the cot dressed only in her back vest top and panties and failed respond when he softly called her name. He frowned as he stepped into the room and kneeled at the side of her cot and lightly laying his hand on her arm. Oh god she was burning up, in a panic John rolled her over and his blue eyes met her brown and he screamed at the vacant expression on her face, her eyes glazed seeing nothing whilst her body shivered in his grip.

He tightened his hold on her pulling her from the bed into his lap rocking her back and forth while he screamed, in rage, in hatred, in grief, but the women in his arms failed to respond.

Slowly he reached won, still clinging to her, holding her tight to his chest he grabbed his gun and pressed it under her jaw. He strained, he knew intellectually Aeryn was gone but it didn't stop the heartache filling him. He had a promise to keep and with another scream of rage he pulled the trigger and the bolt punched through her and through himself as well as penance. He tossed the gun to the other side of the cell and gathered Aeryn even more tightly against him and sat there rocking her slowly.

Slowly sounds filtered through his sobs, of boots on metal deck plates and the hum of several pulse rifles charged. "Surrender yourself immediately or face summary execution."

John leaned over and lightly brushed Aeryn's lips with his own as he lowered her to the deck and draped his coat across her body. John Crichton died there in that detention Cell while the Crow calmly strode out of the cell with his hands on his head.

"The captain wants to meet you."

On the command deck of his Carrier Braca allowed a smug smile to grace his features as the reports of the intruders discovery and immediate capture. "Bring him to command I wish to meet this creature face to face."

"Of course captain."

So he stood staring out the command screen at the moon spinning beneath him and waiting, his arms folded behind his back in standard in pose. He would report this success to Scorpius and was sure it would gain him even more favour. With the Prototype Illonic weapon ready to be tested and the wormhole tech usable the tide would soon be turned and he would go down in Peacekeeper history as one of the saviours of the Sebacen people, he could see the accolades even now.

The steady rhythm of booted feet drew his attention and he turned from the screen to face the intruder. The man dressed in Peacekeeper leathers was clearly Sebacen at a DNA level despite the odd facial colourings. "Who sent you, was it Scarran's, Nebari?" He stepped closure and slapped the man across the face with the back of his hand and a contemptuous snort as he stumbled down to one knee.

"You know Braca, your restraints would really work better against someone who couldn't dislocate their thumbs." The clatter of the metal restraints hitting the deck and the swish of leather as the mans arms sweeped around and the soft click and grunt of pain as John crossed his arms a pair of Pulse pistols in his hands. In a panic the two guards at his side reached for their guns to find their holsters empty and stared down at the Crow in a horror as the sound of a pair of Pistols being fired and the men fell in crumpled heaps with smoking wounds.

Everything was silent for a moment before all hell broke loose on the command deck. Guards snapped into action as they drew their pistols while deck officers drew personal side arms and battle began in earnest as they opened fire spraying crimson bolts of pulse energy at the still kneeling figure. The man stood and moved in a smooth motion like a dancer and spun taking his time, dismissing the serious wounds inflicted by the guns of his opponents as wounds healed. Unfortunately for the Peacekeepers they weren't so lucky as with an almost leisurely pace and a twisted grin he shot down the Security detail. As the last armoured guard fell he sauntered across the deck to the hatch and stood at the door and smiled. "Everyone but Braca would you kindly leave the room as I'm afraid he's been a naughty boy and requires discipline."

Without waiting for anything else the tech and deck officers fled for the door, as the men streamed past him he lashed out, his hand closing on the collar of one person and hauled him across a control console. He staggered back as a wave of memories not his own washed over him.__

Aeryn strapped to a medical table unconscious as a surgeon slit open he swollen belly and removing the child within, the view shifted and Scorpius entered his vision and smiled that rather grisly mockery of a smile. "Well done Captain Braca, keep her in case the child proves unviable, you know what to do."

Nodding Braca dismissed the Surgeons and calmly walked over to a storage locker and removed a syringe and calmly walked back to Aeryn and plunged it into her arm. "A fitting end for a traitor such as yourself."

John shook his head and allowed a cruel smile to grow on his lips as he stared at the crawling Braca. "I told ya before Smithers that y'all didn't wanna go one on one with me, guess you thought you were better." John plopped down onto a navigators chair and propped his feet up on the console and grinned as he heard alarms ringing and the sounds of footsteps hurrying his way. Without even looking he pointed one of his pistols over his shoulder and fired the door slamming shut as the lock disintegrated under the blast.

"Now it's just us let's have a little chat, did you get some kind of enjoyment from administering the Living death to Aeryn Braca?"

"Who are you!"

"Uh was that the answer we were looking for…Ding, ding, ding…sorry wrong answer!" John pointed his gun and fired drilling a neat hole through Braca's left thigh driving the man into the deck. "Lets try again shall we, did you enjoy it."

"It was my duty as a Peacekeeper, she was a traitor." He screamed as he clutched at his thigh. He stared at the man as he lounged there in the navigator's chair.

"Duty, duty to have a child cut from its mothers womb and then to personally send her into a Sebacen's worst fear." John smirked and aimed again, firing another pulse blast drilling a hole in the other thigh. "DID. YOU ENJOY. IT!"

"YES! YES! WHORING HERSELF! PREGNANT WITH A FILFTHY HALF BREED!" He clutched vainly at both thighs trying to stem the blood flow. "Who are you!"

"That was my baby Brace." He hopped off the chair and stood over the screaming captain and smiled. "Boo!"

"No you are dead, you fell off the tier, I saw the blast drill through your chest!" Braca tried to shimmy away from the leering ghost but stopped when he felt the Pulse Pistols press against both his shoulders.

John smiled as fired revelling in Braca's screams as both his arms fell limply at his sides. "Oh does Smithers have a booboo?" John dropped both the guns and hauled Braca off the deck and tossed the now sobbing officer into his command chair leaving him lying there limply. "Don't worry, you can ask Mr Burns to kiss it better." He slapped Braca across the face rousing him from the stupor watching his eyes clear slightly. Nodding with satisfaction John strode to the navigation control and quickly reset the Carriers course. He flicked open the coms and chuckled. "This is your captain speaking, this ship is now on a direct collision course with the highly secret Gamak base below, I'd say you have about a fifth of an arn before he crash. I'd suggest evacuating immediately. I'm giving all of you your lives, find yourselves a better cause than this!" He stepped back and looked at Braca grinning. "Ready to go down with your ship captain?" He studied Braca's face closely and shook his head and strode to one of the guards and rummaged through his side pack.

"Wouldn't want you out of it before we hit the big time now would I Braca." He stood and snapped vial open under Braca's nose and watched as the fumes from the combat stim caused his pupils to widen and clarity to return to his eyes.

Nodding happily John stepped back and waited and wasn't disappointed when the COM crackled to life.

Scorpius stood just in the shadows watching his crew of scientists and technicians finish the final calibrations on their new weapon for launch. Suddenly a pinging drew his attention and he frowned. He strode across the lab and stared at the monitor. "Captain Braca, why have you changed course?"

When there was no immediate answer Scorpius snarled in anger. "Braca answer me immediately!"

"Sorry Mr Burns but Smithers is otherwise engaged."

A look of shock momentarily flitted across his expression. "John?" He was met with no reply simply a tune being piped through from the Leviathan that the faint memories left from his implantation of the Neural chip into his own mind as the Cry of Valkyries and could only watch as the Command Carrier began to fall from the skies.

Scorpius watched the screen with an expression of unbridled fury as the Command Carrier in all it's glory began it's descent through the atmosphere. Somehow even after a year since his death John Crichton was once more plaguing his existence. He had watched the deficient human fall to his death but somehow he was still alive.

"Commander Brazus, train all this bases weaponry on that Carrier, I want it blasted out of the sky." Scorpius rounded on the bases second in command, his emotions out of control, his Scarran side feeding his anger dropping the perfectly formed cultured voice to the dangerous growl.

"Sir the Carrier is to large, even full deployment of prowlers and Marauders to complement base weaponry we couldn't hope to destroy it before it hit the base." The Commander folded his arms behind his back standing stiffly to attention. "We must evacuate immediately Sir!

"NO!" Scorpius snarled in rage sweeping his arm across a workstation knocking instruments to the floor. "Crichton, you doom the Sebacen race to Scarran Domination, cease this foolishness!"

"Sir we must evacuate the base!" Brazus clutched Scorpius by the arm and spun him to face him. "There are one thousand listed men and women on this base, we must go, face it Sir the base is lost!" He grunted as a forearm strike knocked him clean over one of the workstations.

"As I told John Crichton before. I. DO. NOT. LOSE!"

A laugh burst through the COM, the annoying music still being played filling the base. "Damn Scorpy, I told you once I could give you lessons if you wanted."

Brazus pushed himself to his feet, his ears ringing from the blow and staggered over to the command console and slapped his hand over a control.

**__**

All Personnel please evacuate immediately, this is not a drill. All personnel please evacuate immediately; this is not a drill.

Scorpius rounded on the commander and grabbed a Pulse pistol from one of the commando's running past him to escape. He snarled in rage and fired, the single blast catching the commander directly in the face and dropped him with a thud his hair on fire. Tossing the gun away from him Scorpius leaned forward and rested his hands on the consoles edge and watched as the Command Carrier descended.

Braca watched, screaming for Crichton to pull the ship out of it's descent, John just sat there, his feet up on the console waving his arms in the air in time to the music. Every time a cymbal crashed, John would fire one of his pulse pistols destroying yet another console on the command deck.

"Are you farhbot Crichton, you will kill us both!" Braca screamed from his chair unable to move to wrest control back from this mad alien.

"Aw honey, sweetpea, muffin, ain't you gotten with the program yet!" John pressed one of the Pulse Pistols into his mouth and pulled the trigger. Braca cried out as the pulse blast scored past his head leaving an uncomfortable trail of heat in it's passage, but he watched in horrified awe as the hole, dripping brain matter and blood slowly closed and John spun his seat around and grinned. "Only the captains goin down with this boat Smithers."

Finally it proved to much as Braca broke into quiet sobs as John continued to ignore him and continued to conduct an imaginary orchestra as the Gamak base slowly began to fill the Carriers view screen. Time seemed to slow as the Carrier descended through the atmosphere till the base was the only thing that filled the view screen till at last with a massive Jolt that sent both Braca and John hurtling across the command deck.

Explosions wracked the base and the shrieking of metal and the venting of atmosphere filled the air as portions of the base were crushed beneath the extensive mass of the Carrier. Personnel ran through the base heading for the hangers and escape pods to try and out run the devastation of the base while Scorpius stood amidst the wreckage of his main lab watching as years of research where once more destroyed by John Crichton. Another explosion rocked the lab and Scorpius snarled as debris rained from the ceiling and buried him beneath under metal and concrete.

The debris and wreckage was extensive and it littered the floors, a mixture of pieces of Command Carrier and the Base interior. A Groan or protesting metal and the sound of rubble being shifted and a dark figure all in leather struggles from. He staggers slightly, one arm hanging limp and makes his way to the remains of an upright and with an articulate cry of pain and anger slams his shoulder against the beam. Sliding down the wall John lay there gasping for breath, undead or not that had hurt like a bitch and he slowly rolled over and propped his back against the beam and shimmied his way up. He glanced around at the destruction and smirked when he saw Braca, a pipe slammed through his chest pinning him to the floor. The caw of the crow snapped his attention from his situation and he glanced at the bird as it alighted onto a pile of rubble that suddenly shifted slightly and another figure in black leather began to rise with an unarticulated growl of anger.

"God damn Grasshopper you got more lives than a damn cat!" Struggling to his feet John slammed into Scorpius sending both of them sprawling across the wreckage grappling and trading blows. Scorpius roared in rage and grabbed John's throat in his hands squeezing with his Scarran strength trying to crush his enemies' throat to pulp and dust. John Grunted as he struggled to gain leverage against the brutal strength being applied to his neck and slammed his hand against Scorpius's head and against the coolant suit controls. With a hiss and a whirr it slid open and in desperation John grabbed the coolant rod and yanked it free. In his bloodlust Scorpius failed to notice and soon the bloodlust fuelled his Scarran heritage and his blood temperature rose and it suddenly struck him. He jerked back in shock as his body seized and he slammed against a ruined console and started to foam at the mouth. Rubbing his already healing neck John pushed himself to his feet and watched in satisfaction till something in the background caught his eye and a wicked gleam filled his Arctic blue eyes.

Scorpius woke slowly in great pain and jerked trying to move and failed miserably, he was dressed in a EVA suit and turned his gaze to see his hands bolted to some kind of device. A caw caused him to turn his head and he growled as John melted out of the shadows to stand in front of him with that half smile on his face but his eyes where still dead. "Hey Grasshopper, in case you're wondering those bindings are made out of the carrier hull. I doubt your gonna be able to break free, as for what your stuck to…well do you remember your second project, I gotta say I was surprised when I saw it, figured all the Illonics data was lost when their first prototype was destroyed."

Scorpius's eyes widened, the Quantum singularity weapon, John had finally lost his mind. "John, you must understand, what I did I did to protect the Sebacen people from Scarran threat, your actions in denying me access to wormhole knowledge has cost millions of lives already."

John laughed and grabbed Scorpius's jaw and leaned close, his smile faded and arctic blue met arctic blue and John began to speak. "You don't care about the people grasshopper, all you care about is getting even, well guess what, I'm getting even now, of and don't worry about Stallek. He's gonna get a delivery, but in your last few moments I want you to suffer, suffer like you made me and my friends, see you in hell Nosferatu." John closed his eyes and funnelled all his memories of Aeryn's final moments into Scorpius's mind. All the pain of being cut open, of having her baby taken from her and her final moments as heat delirium took her were force-fed to Scorpy's frontal lobe and the Half-breed began to scream. John stepped back and slammed the visor or the EVA suit closed and hit his com. "Yo Pilot, First stage star burst if you please." He grinned. "I have a package to deliver."

"It will be my pleasure Commander!"

John grinned as he felt the worm hole open in space and he turned to the Quantum bomb and keyed in the correct guidance code constructed by the ancients stolen knowledge and hit the ignition button. The bomb flared to life lifting from the ruined hanger and blasted into the sky towards the wormhole and John snapped off a military salute and watched as it vanished through the swirling vortex.

Deep in Scarran space on their home world Emperor Stallek frowned as an audio signal blasted across all known frequencies. "Yo to the Lizard in the Red Jim Jam's, This is Us Postal agent John Crichton with a special delivery for you, hope you like it, peace out!" He turned as his doors slammed open and Minister Aknah stormed in. "What are you doing here!"

She smirked. "A wormhole has opened, a single object has passed through into our space, our Dreadnoughts have engaged, it shall be destroyed as a matter of course."

Stallek frowned. "Do we have any knowledge as to what it is, John Crichton while inferior has proven tricksome in the past."

Aknah nodded, "We will have the debris collected and analysed once we are sure it is destroyed." They both turned to their monitors as the watched the Dreadnought open fire and the device vanished in a swirl of heated plasma. Only their satisfaction was short lived being replace with horror as a black hole appeared near their planets orbit and the terrified screams of the Dreadnoughts crew as it was ripped apart by gravity's might.

John staggered as he watched the black hole form before the wormhole snapped shut and he felt the burdens on his soul lift. "Yo Pilot you still with me buddy."

"We are here Commander."

John smiled as he felt his legs begin to weaken and he glances at the Crow and nods slightly as he slides down the ruined console till he was sat on the floor. "I need you to take Leslie to the Royal Sebacen Colonies for me Pilot." He couched weakly as his head lowered to his chest eyes closing. "She needs to be looked after, I know you want to do it Pilot, but she needs more than life in space." He smiled at the thought of his and Aeryn's daughter growing up in a safe environment. "She may not be the future empress but she's still her half sister, they will take her."

"I do not understand Commander, why can you not look after her?"

"This was a one shot deal Pilot, I get Scorpius and the others and I go back."

"I-I understand commander, John, Moya and I thank you for our freedom."

"One last thing Pilot, when she's old enough tell her about me and her mother please."

"We would be honoured. Goodbye commander."

"John nodded as a pleased smile crossed his lips. "See ya around Pilot."

On Moya a large tear was slowly working it's way down Pilots face as he depressed the control and Moya slipped into starburst leaving the horrors of the past cycle behind along with the most honourable and brave man he had ever encountered.

Fires began to rage out of control as John lay there feeling the Crow's influence leaving his body, feeling his consciousness fading with each laboured breath. Footsteps began to ring out on the floor and slowly John raised his head trying to focus his eyes on the approaching figure. Finally it cleared and he smiled. "Aeryn…"

She smiled down at him and kneeled beside him and gently cupped his face in his hands and lightly pressed her lips to his in a soft kiss. The fire spirals out of control blocking the pair from view, when it finally dies down only John's still corpse remains and Aeryn and the Crow are gone.

Epilogue:

It's been fifteen years since Pilot brought me here to the Royal colonies, my dad's actions before he died helped cease the war. With the Emperor dead and most of the Scarran ruling council, the remaining clans turned on each other fighting to be the top dog as my dad would have said.

The Peacekeepers as a whole were broken, to many casualties, to much technology lost, and the Nebari, the Nebari were to busy with their own revolution to have plans to dominate the rest of the galaxy. Pilot and Moya stayed in Orbit, I was allowed to visit them as I got older, Grandma wasn't too happy, but Mom, Empress Katralla over ruled her. That's how I learned about the Notorious John Crichton and my Mom, my real mom Aeryn Sun.

I don't have to ask if they loved me, Pilot was adamant about that, telling me that my dad came back from the dead to save me from the Peacekeepers, adding to the legend of John Crichton.

Usually after Pilots stories I go to the observation deck and just stand here watching the stars and I think this is where they used to go to be alone. And part of me hopes that while I'm thinking of them, some where out there in the stars they are together and occasionally they are thinking about me.

Fin…


End file.
